Mining machine headlight



y1 1948. A. L. LEE MINING MACHINE HEADLIGHT Filed llay 155, 1944 llllllllllllll ll I lllllllllllll INVENTOR. AQTHUQ L. LEE,

[All] I Patented July 13, 1948 MINING MACHINE HEADLIGHT Arthur L. Lee,Upper Arlington, Ohio, aselgnor, by mecne assignments, to The Jeii'reyManu- -facturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application May 13,1944, Serial'No. 585,513

9 Claims. (Cl. Mil-11.2)

This invention relates to a headlight for a mining machine which in oneaspect of the invention is a combination headlight and tail light.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide an improvedheadlight and tail light particularly of a flame proof type for'use on amining machine or other mining apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved flame proofheadlight.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a headlightincluding improved cushioning means for supporting a reflector for acombination light bulb and reflector such as the sealed-' beam lightbulb for automobiles.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter the novelfeatures and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a transverse sectional view through the headlight of myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a rear'view thereof; I

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof with parts shown in section; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The headlight of my invention is designed particularly for use ingaseous coal mines though in some of its broader aspects it involvesfeatures used in non-gaseous mines and for general utility.

- Said headlight is actually a combination headlight and tail light andin a mining machine, such as a locomotive, there will be two such lightsemployed and the tail light bulb of one of them nation headlight andjunction box which is flame proof and thus usable in a gaseous minesince means are provided for running a cable from the housing thereof toan extraneous light in the nature of a searchlight or flashlight.

The device comprises a casing or housing ll having an open internallythreaded front end preferably formed as a steel casting though othermaterial may be employed. Forming a .part of the casing or housing II isa removable front ring or rim Ii which is threaded into the open frontend of the main casting of said housing ll. Ring l I is provided with afront opening which is closed by a heavy glass lens I! held in place bya snap ring it which snaps into a groove in the rim Ii. The lens I! isprovided with a peripheral lead beading ll or other sealing means whichprovides 2 a flame proof seal between its periphery and the ring portionll of the casing or housing ll. Bubstantially midway between the frontand back of the housing Ill there is a peripheral groove ll formed onthe interior of said housing II by rear peripheral flange I. which formsa forwardly facing abutment or peripheral shoulder adjacent the open endof the main casting of housing I0 and the rear face of the rim Ii whichforms a rearwardly facing abutment or peripheral shoulder. Mounted insaid housing I ii is a combination light bulb and reflector l'l, or whatis commonly known as a sealed-beam light bulb or lamp. Said sealed-beambulb is provided with an integrally formed peripheral rim II at itsgreatest diameter which is particularly effective to cooperate withcushioning or damped-resilient mounting means of snarled materialinterposed between said rim II and the groove II. This cushion ordampedresilient mounting of snarled material is prefer- 'ably inthe-form of a packing I! of metal wool such as turnings or curlings of"steel, brass or bronze wool, which possess internal friction andprovides a snubbing eflect toprevent high frequency vibration oraggravation from vibratory shock in said bulb or lamp. Said packing IIis preferably formed in the shape of a pre-formed ring which is flttedinto the groove llbetween the abutments or-shoulders provided by theperipheral flange I andthe ring Ii. The packing I! encases or surroundstheperipheral rim ll of the light bulb 0r reflector ILancfis compressedabout therim i8-andbetween-the-shouldcrs or abutments of flange i6 andring H and the outer wall of the main casting of the casing or housingll whichabut it when the ring or rim II is screwed tight to provide aflame proof fitting between itself and the other portion of the casingor housing ll. This particular type of packing II is extremely desirablein a mining machine headlight since such machines are subject to severeshock such as the dropping of lumps of coal thereon and it is desirablethat this shock be absorbed to a large extent without being transferredto the bulb II. It is desirable that this flexible mounting be of dampedresiliency so that any vibration transferred to the bulb ll will beimmediately dampened out. The packing It the rim It. as viewed in Fig. 1of the drawings, has its inner surface coated with an opaque refleetingmaterial such as silver, nickel or chromium. The rear or reflectorportion of the light bulb i1 is provided with terminals by which thefilament is supported from the reflector and current is conductedthereto.

To provide the tail light characteristic of the headlight, the casing Itis provided with a pair of lateral ears or projections 2|, 2| each ofwhich is provided with an insert 22 of heavy colored glass which isclosely fitted to the adjacent periphery of the casing ill and is gluedin place to provide a, flame proof fitting therewith. Adequate space isprovided to the rear of the inserts 22 so that light from a bulb 23located behind the light bulb reflector II will readily pass throughsaid inserts 22 and be visible from the outside of said lamp. It is alsodesirable to paint the interior of the casing l0 white to aid inreflection of light from the bulb 23. Light bulb 23 is received in asocket 24 carried by a, bracket 25 mounted on a boss formed on the rearwall of the casing I0. At its rear the casing III is provided with aconduit or cable receiving opening into which an electric cable 26extends, there being a flame proof fitting or stuiflng box 21 formed inthe casing ill to receive said cable 26, thus preserving the flame proofcharacter of said housing Ill.

Considered in another aspect of my invention the unit is both aheadlight and a junction box in that I preferably also provide anothercable inlet or opening for a cable 28 leading into the housing Ill,there being a flame proof fitting or stufling box 29 cooperatingtherewith. The cable 28 has its conductors connected in parallel withthe conductors leading to 'light bulb 23 or to the conductors leading tolight bulb IT as desired. Said cable 28 may supply power to an externallight such as a portable searchlight or flashlight.

From the above description it is obvious that I have produced a veryrugged headlight which is preferably not only a headlight but also acombination headlight and tail light and one which is designed forrugged service and in the preferred embodiment of my invention for use.in a gaseous -mine since it is flame proof. Furthermore in anotheraspect of the invention the unit constitutes a combination headlight andjunction box which is flameproof in character.

Obviously .those skilledin the art may make various changes in thedetails and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended and Iwish therefore not to be restricted to the precise construction hereindisclosed.,,

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of my invention, what'Idesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A flame proof headlight including a flame proof casing, a reflectorinsaid casing, a transparent insert in said casing outside the peripheralextremities of said reflector, said insert having a flame proof fit withsaid casing, a flame proof lens positioned in front of said reflector,said insert and lens lying in parallel planes and visible from the sameside of said headlight, and a light bulb behind said reflector forproducing light visible through said insert.

2. A flame proof headlight including a casing having an internallythreaded open end, means in said casing adjacent its open end forming aperipheral shoulder, a combination light bulb and reflector in saidcasing having a peripheral rim, metal wool encasing the peripheral rimof said combination light bulb and reflector abutting said peripheralshoulder, and an externally threaded rim having a flame proof lenstherein threaded into the threaded open end oi said casing and havingmeans adapted to compress said metal wool against said shoulder andabout the rim of said combination light bulb and reflector whereby saidcombination light bulb and reflector is damped-resiliently supported insaid casing solely through said metal wool. 1

8. 'A flame proof headlight including a casing having an open end, meansin' saidcasing adjacent its open end forming a peripheral shoulder, a

combination light bulb and reflector in said casing having a peripheralrirn, metal wool encasing the peripheral rim of said combination lightbulb and reflector abutting said peripheral shoulder, and a rim having aflame proof lens therein associated with the open end of said casing andhaving means adapted to compress said metal wool against said shoulderand about the rim of said wool against said shoulder and about the rimof Y said combination light bulb and reflector whereby said combinationlight bulb and reflector is damped-resiliently supported in said casingsolely through said metal wool.

5. A light including a casing having an open front end, means in saidcasing forming a generally forwardly facing abutment, a combinationlight bulb and reflector in said casing having a peripheral rim, meanspositioned forwardly of said rim providing a generally rearwardly facingabutment, and metal wool interposed between said abutments, casing andedge of said rim whereby said combination light bulb and reflector isdamped-resiliently supported in said casing A solely through said metalwool.

6. A flame proof headlight including a casing having an internallythreaded open end, means in said casing adjacent its open end forming aperipheral shoulder, a reflector in said casing having a peripheral rim,a filament carried by said reflector, metal wool encasing the peripheralrim of said reflector abutting said peripheral shoulder,

and an extemaily threaded rim having a flame proof lens therein threadedinto the threaded open end of said casing and having means adapted tocompress said metal wool against said shoulder and about the rim of saidreflector whereby said reflector and filament are damped-resilientlysupported in said casing solely through said metal wool.

means adapted to compress said metal wool against said shoulder andabout the rim of said reflector whereby said reflector and filament aredamped-resiliently su ported in said casing solely through said metalwool.

8. A headlight including a casing having an open end, means in saidcasing adjacent its open end forming a peripheral shoulder, a reflectorin I said casing having a peripheral rim, a filament carried by saidreflector, metal wool encasing the peripheral rim of said reflectorabutting said peripheral shoulder, and a rim associated with the openend of said casing and having means adapted to compress said metal woolagainst said shoulder and about the rim of said reflector whereby saidreflector and filament are damped-resiliently supported in said casingsolely through said metal wool.

9. A light including a casing having an open front end, means in saidcasing forming a generally forwardly facing abutment, a reflector insaid casing having a peripheral rim, a filament carried by saidreflector, means positioned forwardly of said rim providing a generallyrearwardly facing abutment, and metal wool interposed between saidabutments, casing and edge of said rim whereby said reflector andfilament are damped-resiliently supported in said casing solely throughsaid metal wool.

, ARTHUR L. LEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

